Ice making apparatus

ABSTRACT

An ice cube-making machine that is characterized by substantially noiseless operation at the location where ice cubes are dispensed and a lightweight configuration for ease of installation. The ice cube-making machine has a support structure that substantially isolates the compressor from the atmosphere to reduce the transmission of noise and vibration.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to, and claims priority in, co-pending U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/468,782, filed May 8, 2003, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to an ice cube-making machine and, in particular,an ice cube-making machine having noise and/or vibration reduction.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Ice cube-making machines generally comprise an evaporator, a watersupply and a refrigerant/warm gas circuit that includes a condenser anda compressor. The evaporator is connected to the water supply and to acircuit that includes the condenser and the compressor. Valves and othercontrols control the evaporator to operate cyclically in a freeze modeand a harvest mode.

During the freeze mode, the water supply provides water to theevaporator and the circuit supplies refrigerant to the evaporator tocool the water and form ice cubes. During the harvest mode, the circuitdiverts warm compressor discharge gas to the evaporator, thereby warmingthe evaporator and causing the ice cubes to loosen and fall from theevaporator into an ice bin or hopper.

Referring to FIG. 1, an ice cube-making machine 10 without noisereducing features includes a support structure 15, an evaporator 40, acondenser 50 and a compressor 60. The support structure 15 has a base20, a base pan 25, and front, back, left side, right side and top panels22, 24, 26, 28 and 30. Evaporator 40 is disposed on base 20. Condenser50, with a fan assembly 55, is secured to back panel 24. Compressor 60is secured to back panel 24 and/or base pan 25. Base 20 and front, back,left side, right side and top panels 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 are securedto each other to form support structure 15 for the ice cube-makingmachine 10.

The inner volume of support structure 15 contains the evaporator 40, thecondenser 50 and the compressor 60 in communication with each other andin contact or communication with the atmosphere through at least the fanduct 75 disposed through back panel 24 and the louvers 80 disposed alongthe right side panel 28. The fan duct 75 supplies air to the fanassembly 55, and louvers 80 provide additional access to the atmospherefor the inner volume of the support structure 15 for assistance incooling.

In operation, the prior art ice cube-making machine 10 transmits noiseto the atmosphere through fan duct 75 and/or louvers 80. Additionally,the compressor 60 transmits vibrations to the other components of theice-cube making machine 10. The noise is undesirable in consumer andother locations. The vibrations can be damaging to the variouscomponents, require more maintenance, and can create additional unwantednoise. Thus, there is a need for a quiet ice cube-making machine withnoise reduction and/or vibration reduction features.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The ice cube-making machine of the present invention provides a noisereducing and/or vibration reducing structure that isolates orsubstantially isolates the compressor from the atmosphere andsubstantially reduces the travel of compressor noise out of the icemachine via ventilation louvers disposed in the side walls of the icemachine.

The ice-making machine of the present invention provides a supportstructure having a compressor, wherein the support structuresubstantially isolates the compressor from the atmosphere to reducetransmission of noise from the compressor to the atmosphere. The supportstructure has disposed therein an isolation chamber and the compressoris disposed within the isolation chamber.

The isolation chamber can be at least partially defined by one or morepanels disposed in an inner volume of the support structure. The panelscan have sound dampening properties that reduce or eliminatetransmission of noise from the compressor through the panels. The panelscan be insulated or non-insulated. The panels can be formed of a heatresistant material, such as metal, plastic, glass, etc. The isolationchamber can be partially defined by at least a portion of the supportstructure. That portion of the support structure can also have sounddampening properties to assist in reducing or eliminating transmissionof noise from the compressor.

The ice-making machine also has an evaporator and a condenser that aredisposed within the support structure. The compressor can besubstantially isolated from the evaporator and the condenser by means ofthe panels. The ice-making machine can also have a fan in communicationwith the atmosphere through a fan duct opening, wherein the compressoris isolated from the fan duct opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Other and further objects, advantages and features of the presentinvention Will be understood by reference to the following specificationin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters denote like elements of structure and:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art ice cube-makingmachine of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an ice cube-making machine ofthe present invention having noise reduction capabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention can best be described by reference to FIG. 2,wherein a preferred embodiment of an ice-making machine of the presentinvention is shown and generally represented by reference numeral 100.Ice-making machine 100 has a support structure 150, an evaporator 400, acondenser 500 and a compressor 600.

Support structure 150 has a base 200, a base pan 250 and front, back,left side, right side and top panels 220, 240, 260, 280, and 300.Evaporator 400 is disposed on base 200. Condenser 500, with a fanassembly 550, is secured to back panel 240. Compressor 600 is secured toback panel 240 and/or base pan 250. It will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that evaporator 400, condenser 500 and compressor 600suitably include various valves and other components of an icecube-making machine.

Base 200 and front, back, left side, right side and top panels 220, 240,260, 280 and 300 are secured to each other to form support structure 150for the ice-making machine 100. Support structure 150 also includes acompressor compartment 900 that is defined by isolation walls or panels910, 920 and 930, and portions of base 200, back panel 240 and left sidepanel 260.

The inner volume of support structure 150 contains the evaporator 400and the condenser 500 in communication with each other and in contact orcommunication with the atmosphere through a fan duct 750 disposedthrough back panel 240 and louvers 800 disposed along the right sidepanel 280. The fan duct 750 supplies air to the fan assembly 550, andlouvers 800 provide additional access to the inner volume of supportstructure 150 for assistance in cooling.

Compressor 600 is contained in compressor compartment 900, whichisolates the compressor from the atmosphere to reduce the noise that isemitted by ice-making machine 100. Compressor 600 is in isolation fromthe evaporator 400, the condenser 500 and the inner volume of supportstructure 150 due to isolation walls or panels 910, 920 and 930.

Also, the compressor is in isolation from the atmosphere due to portionsof base 200, back panel 240 and left side panel 260. As a result of theisolation or substantial isolation of compressor 600 within compressorcompartment 900, compressor 600 is limited or prevented fromtransmitting or emitting noise to the atmosphere through supportstructure 150, fan duct 750 and/or louvers 800.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that supportstructure 150 and compressor compartment 900 may take on alternativeforms and shapes as dictated by particular design requirements.Compressor compartment 900, including those portions of supportstructure 700 as shown in FIG. 2, can be made of a variety of materials,which helps reduce or eliminate the transmission of noises andvibrations from the compressor 600, such as, for example, foam or othermaterial having sound dampening properties.

Also, such sound dampening materials can be secured to compressorcompartment 900 to reduce or eliminate the transmission of noises andvibrations from the compressor 600. Other embodiments of the presentinvention could include, but are not limited to, alternative structuresto reduce or eliminate noise and vibration escaping or being transmittedto the atmosphere, which surround the compressor 600 so that thecompressor is not in communication with any louvers or openings to theatmosphere.

The interconnection structure that connects evaporator 400, condenser500 and compressor 600 in a circuit for the circulation of refrigerantand warm gas, preferably includes appropriate fittings that furtherreduce the transmission of noise and vibration from the compressor tothe atmosphere. The interconnection structure may suitably include pipesor tubing and appropriate joining junctions having sound and vibrationdampening characteristics.

The present invention having been thus described with particularreference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in theappended claims.

1. An ice-making machine comprising: a support structure having acompressor, wherein said support structure substantially isolates saidcompressor from the atmosphere to reduce transmission of noise from saidcompressor to the atmosphere.
 2. The ice-making machine of claim 1,wherein said support structure has an isolation chamber, and whereinsaid compressor is disposed within said isolation chamber.
 3. Theice-making machine of claim 2, wherein said isolation chamber is atleast partially defined by one or more panels disposed in an innervolume of said support structure.
 4. The ice-making machine of claim 3,wherein said one or more panels have sound dampening properties thatreduce or eliminate transmission of noise from said compressor throughsaid one or more panels.
 5. The ice-making machine of claim 2, whereinsaid isolation chamber is partially defined by at least a portion ofsaid support structure.
 6. The ice-making machine of claim 5, whereinsaid at least a portion of said support structure has sound dampeningproperties that reduce or eliminate transmission of noise from saidcompressor through said at least a portion of said support structure. 7.The ice-making machine of claim 1, further comprising an evaporator anda condenser, wherein said evaporator and said condenser are disposed onsaid support structure.
 8. The ice-making machine of claim 7, whereinsaid compressor is substantially isolated from said evaporator and saidcondenser.
 9. The ice-making machine of claim 8, further comprising afan in communication with the atmosphere through a fan duct opening,wherein said compressor is isolated from said fan duct opening.